Electronic device including antenna device

ABSTRACT

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first housing structure including a conductive first side member, a second housing structure including a conductive second side member, a hinge structure rotatably connecting the first housing structure and the second housing structure, and a printed circuit board. The first side member or the second side member may include a first side face, a second side face, a third side face, a fourth side face, a first slit formed in the fourth side face, and a second slit formed in any one of the first side face, the second side face, and the third side face. At least a part of the second side face or the third side face between the first slit and the second slit may be made of a conductive material and electrically connected to the printed circuit board as a radiating conductor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)of a Korean patent application number 10-2019-0009679, filed on Jan. 25,2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The disclosure relates to an electronic device. More particularly, thedisclosure relates to an electronic device including an antenna device.

2. Description of Related Art

As electronic, information, and communication technologies havedeveloped, various functions are integrated into a single electronicdevice. For example, a smart phone includes functions of, for example,an audio reproduction device, an imaging device, and a digital diary, inaddition to a communication function, and more various functions may beimplemented in the smart phone through additional installation ofapplications.

Without being limited to the functions (e.g., applications) andinformation provided in an electronic device itself, the user is capableof searching for, selecting, and acquiring more information byconnecting to a network. In connecting to a network, a direct connectionscheme (e.g., wired communication) may provide fast and stablecommunication, but the utilization area may be limited to a fixedposition or a predetermined extent of space. In connecting to a network,a wireless communication scheme has fewer constraints on position andspace, and the transmission speed and stability of the wirelesscommunication scheme are gradually reaching the same level as those ofthe direct connection scheme. In the future, the wireless communicationscheme is expected to provide faster and more stable communicationestablishment than the direct connection scheme.

As the use of personal and portable electronic devices such as smartphones is becoming more common, there is increasing demand forportability and usability. For example, an electronic device having afoldable structure or a rollable structure is easy to carry and iscapable of providing an improved multimedia environment through a widerscreen.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination hasbeen made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure

SUMMARY

In a miniaturized electronic device, it may be difficult to ensurecommunication environments in different frequency bands. For example,although independent operating environments (e.g., sufficient spacing)should be provided between the antennas, it may be difficult to ensuresuch environments in a miniaturized electronic device. In an electronicdevice having a foldable structure or a rollable structure, a structureor a space in which antennas are capable of being located may be furthernarrowed. For example, for greater flexibility, structures such ashousings are thinner, which may make it more difficult to secure antennaplacement space. In an electronic device having a foldable structure ora rollable structure, the operating environments of antennas may varydepending on whether the electronic device is in a folded state or anunfolded state. For example, since the arrangement of structures aroundantennas may vary between the folded state and the unfolded states, theoperating performance of the antenna may vary.

Aspects of the disclosure are to address at least the above-mentionedproblems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantagesdescribed below. Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to providean electronic device including an antenna device that is easy to bemounted on a slim and miniaturized structure and has stable operationperformance.

Another aspect of the disclosure is to provide an electronic deviceincluding an antenna device that exhibits stable operation performanceeven in the state in which the structures are folded or rolled.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description whichfollows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may belearned by practice of the presented embodiments.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device isprovided. The electronic device includes a first housing structureincluding a first face that faces in a first direction, a second facethat faces in a second direction opposite the first direction, and afirst side member at least partially surrounding a space between thefirst face and the second face, at least a portion of the first housingstructure being made of a conductive material, a second housingstructure including a third face that faces in a third direction, afourth face that faces in a fourth direction opposite the thirddirection, and a second side member at least partially surrounding aspace between the third face and the fourth face, at least a portion ofthe second housing structure being made of a conductive material, ahinge structure rotatably connecting the first housing structure and thesecond housing structure to each other, the hinge structure beingconfigured to provide a folding axis that is a rotating center of thefirst housing structure and the second housing structure, and a printedcircuit board disposed between the first face and the second face orbetween the third face and the fourth face. The first side member or thesecond side member may include a first side face arranged parallel tothe folding axis, a second side face extending from one end of the firstside face in a direction crossing the folding axis, a third side faceextending from another end of the first side face in a directioncrossing the folding axis, a fourth side face connecting the second sideface and the third side face to each other and extending parallel to thefolding axis, the fourth side face being disposed adjacent to the hingestructure, a first slit formed in the fourth side face, and a secondslit formed in any one of the first side face, the second side face, andthe third side face. At least a part of at least one of the second sideface and the third side face between the first slit and the second slitmay be made of a conductive material, and may be electrically connectedto the printed circuit board to form a radiating conductor.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, an electronicdevice is provided. The electronic device includes a foldable housing, aflexible display, and at least one wireless communication circuit. Thefoldable housing may include a hinge structure extending along a firstaxis, a first housing structure connected to the hinge structure andincluding a first face that faces in a first direction, a second facethat faces away from the first face, and a first side member surroundinga first space between the first face and the second face, a secondhousing structure connected to the hinge structure and including a thirdface that faces in a second direction, a fourth face that faces awayfrom the third face, and a second side member surrounding a second spacebetween the third face and the fourth face. The first side member mayinclude a first conductive portion extending parallel to the first axisadjacent the hinge structure, a second conductive portion extendingperpendicular to the first axis, a third conductive portion including aportion extending parallel to the first conductive portion, a firstnon-conductive portion inserted between the first conductive portion andthe second conductive portion, and a second non-conductive portioninserted between the second conductive portion and the third conductiveportion. The second side member may include a fourth conductive portionextending parallel to the first axis adjacent the hinge structure, afifth conductive portion extending perpendicular to the fourthconductive portion, a sixth conductive portion including a portionextending parallel to the fourth conductive portion, a thirdnon-conductive portion inserted between the fourth conductive portionand the fifth conductive portion, and a fourth non-conductive portioninserted between the fifth conductive portion and the sixth conductiveportion, and the second housing structure is foldable with respect tothe first housing structure about the first axis. In a folded state ofthe foldable housing, the first face may face the third face, and in anunfolded state, the second direction is the same as the first direction.In the folded state, when viewed from outside the second conductiveportion, the second non-conductive portion and the fourth non-conductiveportion may be aligned with each other, and when viewed from outside thehinge structure, the first non-conductive portion and the thirdnon-conductive portion may be aligned with each other. The flexibledisplay may extend from the first face to the third face, and at leastone wireless communication circuit may be electrically connected to afirst location of the second conductive portion adjacent to the secondnon-conductive portion and may be configured to transmit and/or receivea signal in a frequency band of 500 MHz to 6 GHz.

According to various embodiments, an antenna device, for example, aradiating conductor is implemented by a conductive material portionprovided in the housing structure of the electronic device. Thus, theantenna device can be easily disposed even in a slimmed or miniaturizedstructure. According to an embodiment, the electronic device is capableof providing stable operation performance (e.g., radiation efficiency)even in the folded state. For example, even in the state in which theelectronic device is folded, the end portion (or the end face) of theradiating conductor is exposed to the external space. Thus, it ispossible to stably transmit/receive radio waves.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses various embodiments of the disclosure

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a networkenvironment according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an unfolded state of an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a folded state of an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a view for describing a configuration of a side member(s) inan electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a view for describing a configuration of an antenna device inan electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a view illustrating a side face of an electronic device in afolded state according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of anelectronic device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 8 is view representing an electromagnetic field distribution formedby an electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 is view representing an electromagnetic field distribution formedby an electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a graph representing measured radiation efficiency of anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a view representing an electromagnetic field distributionformed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 12 is a view representing an electromagnetic field distributionformed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 13 is a graph representing measured radiation efficiency of anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a graph illustrating radiation efficiency measured dependingon an operation of a switch unit in an electronic device according to anembodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a graph for describing a change in radiation characteristicsdepending on a position of a fifth slit in an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a view for describing a configuration of a side member(s) inan electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 17 is a view for describing a configuration of an antenna device inan electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbersare used to depict the same or similar elements, features, andstructures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of variousembodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the various embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thedisclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions andconstructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of thedisclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of various embodiments of thedisclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for thepurpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes referenceto one or more of such surfaces

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in anetwork environment 100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the electronic device 101 in the networkenvironment 100 may communicate with an electronic device 102 via afirst network 198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network),or an electronic device 104 or a server 108 via a second network 199(e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to anembodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with theelectronic device 104 via the server 108. According to an embodiment,the electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, memory 130, aninput device 150, a sound output device 155, a display device 160, anaudio module 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a haptic module179, a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189,a communication module 190, a subscriber identification module (SIM)196, or an antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one (e.g.,the display device 160 or the camera module 180) of the components maybe omitted from the electronic device 101, or one or more othercomponents may be added in the electronic device 101. In someembodiments, some of the components may be implemented as singleintegrated circuitry. For example, the sensor module 176 (e.g., afingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may beimplemented as embedded in the display device 160 (e.g., a display).

The processor 120 may execute, for example, software (e.g., a program140) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware orsoftware component) of the electronic device 101 coupled with theprocessor 120, and may perform various data processing or computation.According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing orcomputation, the processor 120 may load a command or data received fromanother component (e.g., the sensor module 176 or the communicationmodule 190) in volatile memory 132, process the command or the datastored in the volatile memory 132, and store resulting data innon-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)or an application processor (AP)), and an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g.,a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), asensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that isoperable independently from, or in conjunction with, the main processor121. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 123 may beadapted to consume less power than the main processor 121, or to bespecific to a specified function. The auxiliary processor 123 may beimplemented as separate from, or as part of the main processor 121.

The auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of functions orstates related to at least one component (e.g., the display device 160,the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) among thecomponents of the electronic device 101, instead of the main processor121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state,or together with the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 isin an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to anembodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processoror a communication processor) may be implemented as part of anothercomponent (e.g., the camera module 180 or the communication module 190)functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component(e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176) of the electronicdevice 101. The various data may include, for example, software (e.g.,the program 140) and input data or output data for a command relatedthererto. The memory 130 may include the volatile memory 132 or thenon-volatile memory 134.

The program 140 may be stored in the memory 130 as software, and mayinclude, for example, an operating system (OS) 142, middleware 144, oran application 146.

The input device 150 may receive a command or data to be used by othercomponent (e.g., the processor 120) of the electronic device 101, fromthe outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The inputdevice 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard,or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

The sound output device 155 may output sound signals to the outside ofthe electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, forexample, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for generalpurposes, such as playing multimedia or playing record, and the receivermay be used for an incoming calls. According to an embodiment, thereceiver may be implemented as separate from, or as part of the speaker.

The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside(e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The display device 160 mayinclude, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector andcontrol circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display,hologram device, and projector. According to an embodiment, the displaydevice 160 may include touch circuitry adapted to detect a touch, orsensor circuitry (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure theintensity of force incurred by the touch.

The audio module 170 may convert a sound into an electrical signal andvice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may obtainthe sound via the input device 150, or output the sound via the soundoutput device 155 or a headphone of an external electronic device (e.g.,an electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelessly coupledwith the electronic device 101.

The sensor module 176 may detect an operational state (e.g., power ortemperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state(e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device 101, andthen generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to thedetected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 mayinclude, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmosphericpressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gripsensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, abiometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or anilluminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support one or more specified protocols to be usedfor the electronic device 101 to be coupled with the external electronicdevice (e.g., the electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wiredly) orwirelessly. According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include,for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universalserial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or anaudio interface.

A connecting terminal 178 may include a connector via which theelectronic device 101 may be physically connected with the externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to anembodiment, the connecting terminal 178 may include, for example, a HDMIconnector, a USB connector, a SD card connector, or an audio connector(e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanicalstimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or electrical stimulus whichmay be recognized by a user via his tactile sensation or kinestheticsensation. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 mayinclude, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electricstimulator.

The camera module 180 may capture a still image or moving images.According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one ormore lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module 388 may manage power supplied to theelectronic device 101. According to one embodiment, the power managementmodule 188 may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a powermanagement integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 mayinclude, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, asecondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g.,wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel betweenthe electronic device 101 and the external electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108) andperforming communication via the established communication channel. Thecommunication module 190 may include one or more communicationprocessors that are operable independently from the processor 120 (e.g.,the application processor (AP)) and supports a direct (e.g., wired)communication or a wireless communication. According to an embodiment,the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wirelesscommunication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a localarea network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication(PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules maycommunicate with the external electronic device via the first network198 (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth™wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) orthe second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network, suchas a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN orwide area network (WAN)). These various types of communication modulesmay be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or maybe implemented as multi components (e.g., multi chips) separate fromeach other. The wireless communication module 192 may identify andauthenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network, suchas the first network 198 or the second network 199, using subscriberinformation (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI))stored in the subscriber identification module 196.

The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to orfrom the outside (e.g., the external electronic device) of theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the antenna modulemay include an antenna including a radiating element composed of aconductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate(e.g., PCB). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 mayinclude a plurality of antennas. In such a case, at least one antennaappropriate for a communication scheme used in the communicationnetwork, such as the first network 198 or the second network 199, may beselected, for example, by the communication module 190 (e.g., thewireless communication module 192) from the plurality of antennas. Thesignal or the power may then be transmitted or received between thecommunication module 190 and the external electronic device via theselected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, anothercomponent (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other thanthe radiating element may be additionally formed as part of the antennamodule 197.

At least some of the above-described components may be coupled mutuallyand communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) there between via aninter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purposeinput and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobileindustry processor interface (MIPI)).

According to an embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted orreceived between the electronic device 101 and the external electronicdevice 104 via the server 108 coupled with the second network 199. Eachof the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be a device of a same type as,or a different type, from the electronic device 101. According to anembodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at the electronicdevice 101 may be executed at one or more of the external electronicdevices 102, 104, or 108. For example, if the electronic device 101should perform a function or a service automatically, or in response toa request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101,instead of, or in addition to, executing the function or the service,may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform atleast part of the function or the service. The one or more externalelectronic devices receiving the request may perform the at least partof the function or the service requested, or an additional function oran additional service related to the request, and transfer an outcome ofthe performing to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101may provide the outcome, with or without further processing of theoutcome, as at least part of a reply to the request. To that end, acloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computingtechnology may be used, for example.

The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one ofvarious types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may include,for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smailphone), acomputer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medicaldevice, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. According toan embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic devices are not limitedto those described above.

It should be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosure andthe terms used therein are not intended to limit the technologicalfeatures set forth herein to particular embodiments and include variouschanges, equivalents, or replacements for a corresponding embodiment.With regard to the description of the drawings, similar referencenumerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It is tobe understood that a singular form of a noun corresponding to an itemmay include one or more of the things, unless the relevant contextclearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as “Aor B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, orC,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” mayinclude any one of, or all possible combinations of the items enumeratedtogether in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, suchterms as “1st” and “2nd,” or “first” and “second” may be used to simplydistinguish a corresponding component from another, and does not limitthe components in other aspect (e.g., importance or order). It is to beunderstood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to,with or without the term “operatively” or “communicatively”, as “coupledwith,” “coupled to,” “connected with,” or “connected to” another element(e.g., a second element), it means that the element may be coupled withthe other element directly (e.g., wiredly), wirelessly, or via a thirdelement.

As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented inhardware, software, or firmware, and may interchangeably be used withother terms, for example, “logic,” “logic block,” “part,” or“circuitry”. A module may be a single integral component, or a minimumunit or part thereof, adapted to perform one or more functions. Forexample, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in aform of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software(e.g., the program 140) including one or more instructions that arestored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory138) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device 101).For example, a processor (e.g., the processor 120) of the machine (e.g.,the electronic device 101) may invoke at least one of the one or moreinstructions stored in the storage medium, and execute it, with orwithout using one or more other components under the control of theprocessor. This allows the machine to be operated to perform at leastone function according to the at least one instruction invoked. The oneor more instructions may include a code generated by a complier or acode executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage mediummay be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Wherein,the term “non-transitory” simply means that the storage medium is atangible device, and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagneticwave), but this term does not differentiate between where data issemi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data istemporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to an embodiment, a method according to various embodiments ofthe disclosure may be included and provided in a computer programproduct. The computer program product may be traded as a product betweena seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed inthe form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc readonly memory (CD-ROM)), or be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded)online via an application store (e.g., PlayStore™), or between two userdevices (e.g., smart phones) directly. If distributed online, at leastpart of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or atleast temporarily stored in the machine-readable storage medium, such asmemory of the manufacturer's server, a server of the application store,or a relay server.

According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or aprogram) of the above-described components may include a single entityor multiple entities. According to various embodiments, one or more ofthe above-described components may be omitted, or one or more othercomponents may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality ofcomponents (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a singlecomponent. In such a case, according to various embodiments, theintegrated component may still perform one or more functions of each ofthe plurality of components in the same or similar manner as they areperformed by a corresponding one of the plurality of components beforethe integration. According to various embodiments, operations performedby the module, the program, or another component may be carried outsequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or moreof the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, orone or more other operations may be added.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an unfolded state of an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 3 is a viewillustrating a folded state of an electronic device according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

An electronic device 200 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 may be at leastpartially similar to the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 or may includeanother embodiment of the electronic device.

Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device 200 may include a pair ofhousing structures 210 and 220 rotatably coupled to each other via ahinge structure (e.g., a hinge structure 264 in FIG. 4) so as to befolded with respect to each other, a hinge cover 265 that covers thefoldable portions of the pair of housing structures 210 and 220, and adisplay 230 (e.g., a flexible display or a foldable display) disposed ina space formed by the pair of housing structures 210 and 220. In someembodiments, the hinge cover 265 may be a part of the hinge structure264. In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include a foldablehousing coupled to be rotatable from a position at which the pair ofhousing structures 210 and 220 face each other to a position at whichthe pair of housing structures 210 and 220 are side-by-side (e.g.,parallel) to each other. Herein, a face on which the display 230 isdisposed may be defined as a front face of the electronic device 200,and a face opposite the front face may be defined as a rear face of theelectronic device 200. In addition, the face surrounding the spacebetween the front face and the rear face may be defined as the side faceof the electronic device 200.

In an embodiment, the pair of housing structures 210 and 220 may includea first housing structure 210 including a sensor area 231 d, a secondhousing structure 220, a first rear cover 240, and a second rear cover250. The pair of housing structures 210 and 220 of the electronic device200 are not limited to the shape and assembly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and3, but may be implemented by other shapes or other combinations and/orassemblies of components. For example, in another embodiment, the firsthousing structure 210 and the first rear cover 240 may be integrallyformed, and the second housing structure 220 and the second rear cover250 may be integrally formed.

According to an embodiment, the first housing structure 210 and thesecond housing structure 220 may be disposed on opposite sides about afirst axis (e.g., a folding axis A), and may have a generallysymmetrical shape with respect to the folding axis A. In someembodiments, the first housing structure 210 and the second housingstructure 220 are rotatable with respect to the hinge structure 264 orthe hinge cover 265 about different folding axes, respectively. Forexample, the first housing structure 210 and the second housingstructure 220 may be coupled to the hinge structure 264 or the hingecover 265 to be individually rotatable. By rotating the first housingstructure 210 and the second housing structure 220 about the foldingaxis A or about different folding axes, respectively, it is possible torotate the first housing structure 210 and the second housing structure220 from the positions at which the first housing structure 210 and thesecond housing structure 220 are folded to each other to the positionsat which the first housing structure 210 and the second housingstructure 220 are inclined with respect to each other or the positionsat which the first housing structure 210 and the second housingstructure 220 are parallel to each other.

Herein, the wording “positioned side by side” or “extended side by side”may mean the state in which two structures are at least partiallypositioned next to each other or the state in which at least portionspositioned next to each other are arranged in parallel. In someembodiments, the wording “arranged side by side” may mean that the twostructures are arranged to look in parallel or in the same directionwhile being located next to each other. Expressions such as “side byside”, “in parallel”, and the like may be used in the following detaileddescription, which will be readily understood according to the shapes orarrangement of the structures with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

According to an embodiment, the angle or difference between the firsthousing structure 210 and the second housing structure 220 may varydepending on whether the electronic device 200 is in the unfolded state(the extended state, flat state, or open state), in the folded state, orin an intermediate state. According to an embodiment, unlike the secondhousing structure 220, the first housing structure 210 may furtherinclude the sensor area 231 d in which various sensors are disposed.However, the first housing structure 210 and the second housingstructure 220 may have mutually symmetrical shapes in other areas. Inanother embodiment, the sensor area 231 d may be further disposed in orreplaced with at least an area of the second housing structure 220.

In an embodiment, in the unfolded state of the electronic device 200,the first housing structure 210 may include a first face 211 connectedto a hinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 264 in FIG. 4) andarranged to face the front side of the electronic device 200, a secondface 212 facing away from the first face 211, and a first side member213 surrounding at least part of the space between the first face 211and the second face 212. In an embodiment, the first side member 213 mayinclude a first side face 213 a arranged in parallel to the folding axisA, a second side face 213 b extending from one end of the first sideface 213 a in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis A, and athird face 213 c extending from the other end of the first side face 213a in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis A. In describingvarious embodiments, expressions such as “parallel” or “perpendicular”are used in connection with the arrangements of the above-described sidefaces, but in some embodiments, the expressions may include the meaningof “partially parallel” or “partially perpendicular”. In someembodiments, expressions such as “parallel” or “perpendicular” mayinclude an inclined arrangement relationship in an angular range within10 degrees.

In an embodiment, in the unfolded state of the electronic device 200,the second housing structure 220 may include a third face 221 connectedto the hinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 264 in FIG. 4) andarranged to face the front side of the electronic device 200, a fourthface 222 facing away from the third face 221, and a second side member223 surrounding at least part of the space between the third face 221and the fourth face 222. In an embodiment, the second side member 223may include a fourth side face 223 a arranged in parallel to the foldingaxis A, a fifth side face 223 b extending from one end of the fourthside face 223 a in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis A, anda sixth face 223 c extending from the other end of the fourth side face223 a in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis A. In anembodiment, in the folded state, the third face 221 may face the firstface 211. In some embodiments, although there are some differences inspecific shapes, the second side member 223 may be made, in shape andmaterial, to be substantially the same as the first side member 213.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include a recess 201formed to accommodate the display 230 through structural shape couplingof the first housing structure 210 and the second housing structure 220.The recess 201 may have substantially the same size as the display 230.In an embodiment, due to the sensor area 231 d, the recess 201 may havetwo or more different widths in a direction perpendicular to the foldingaxis A. For example, the recess 201 may have a first width w₁ between afirst portion 220 a of the second housing structure 220, which isparallel to the folding axis A and a first portion 210 a formed at anedge of the sensor area 231 d of the first housing structure 210 and asecond width w₂ between a second portion 220 b of the second housingstructure 210 and a second portion 210 b that does not correspond to thesensor area 231 d and is parallel to the folding axis A in the firsthousing structure 210. In this case, the second width w₂ may be longerthan the first width w₁. For example, the recess 201 may be formed tohave the first width W₁ formed from the first portion 210 a of the firsthousing structure 210 to the first portion 220 a of the second housingstructure 220, which are asymmetric to each other, and the second widthW₂ formed from the second portion 210 b of the first housing structure210 to the second portion 220 b of the second housing structure 220,which are symmetric to each other. In an embodiment, the first portion210 a and the second portion 210 b of the first housing structure 210may have different distances from the folding axis A, respectively. Thewidths of the recess 201 are not limited to the illustrated example. Invarious embodiments, the recess 201 may have two or more differentwidths due to the shape of the sensor area 231 d or the asymmetricportions of the first housing structure 210 and the second housingstructure 220.

In an embodiment, at least part of the first housing structure 210 andthe second housing structure 220 may be formed of a metal material or anon-metal material having the rigidity of a level selected in order tosupport the display 230. In another embodiment, at least part of thefirst housing structure 210 and the second housing structure 220 mayinclude a conductive material. When the first housing structure 210 andthe second housing structure 220 include a conductive material, theelectronic device 200 may transmit/receive radio waves using theportions formed of the conductive material in the first housingstructure 210 and the second housing structure 220. For example, aprocessor or a communication module (e.g., the processor 120 or thecommunication module 190 of FIG. 1) of the electronic device 200 mayperform wireless communication using at least a portion of the firsthousing structure 210 and the second housing structure 220.

In an embodiment, the sensor area 231 d may be formed to have apredetermined area adjacent to one corner of the first housing structure210. However, the arrangement, shape, and size of the sensor area 231 dare not limited to those in the illustrated example. For example, inanother embodiment, the sensor area 231 d may be provided at anothercorner of the first housing structure 210 or in any area between theupper and lower end corners. In another embodiment, the sensor area 231d may be further disposed in or replaced with at least an area of thesecond housing structure 220. In another embodiment, the sensor area 231d may be disposed to extend over the first housing structure 210 and thesecond housing structure 220. In an embodiment, the electronic device200 may include components exposed to the front face of the electronicdevice 200 through the sensor area 231 d or through one or more openingsprovided in the sensor area 231 d, and may perform various functionsusing these components. The components disposed in the sensor area 231 dmay include at least one of, for example, a front camera device (e.g.,the camera module 180 in FIG. 1), a receiver (e.g., the audio module 170in FIG. 1), a proximity sensor, an illuminance sensor, an irisrecognition sensor, an ultrasonic sensor (e.g., the sensor module 176 inFIG. 1), an indicator, or the like.

In an embodiment, the first rear cover 240 may be disposed on the secondface 212 of the first housing structure 210, and may have asubstantially rectangular periphery. In an embodiment, the periphery ofthe first rear cover 240 may be at least partially wrapped by the firsthousing structure 210. Similarly, the second rear cover 250 may bedisposed on the fourth face 222 of the second housing structure 220, andat least part of the periphery of the second rear cover 250 may be atleast partially wrapped by the second housing structure 220.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first rear cover 240 and the secondrear cover 250 may have substantially symmetrical shapes with respect tothe folding axis A. According to another embodiment, the first rearcover 240 and the second rear cover 250 may have various differentshapes. In a still another embodiment, the first rear cover 240 may beformed integrally with the first housing structure 210, and the secondrear cover 250 may be formed integrally with the second housingstructure 220.

In an embodiment, the first rear cover 240, the second rear cover 250,the first housing structure 210, and the second housing structure 220may provide, through a mutually coupled structure, a space in whichvarious components (e.g., a printed circuit board, an antenna module, asensor module, or a battery) of the electronic device 200 may bearranged. According to an embodiment, one or more components may bedisposed or visually exposed on the rear face of the electronic device200. For example, one or more components or sensors may be visuallyexposed through a first rear area 241 of the first rear cover 240. Invarious embodiments, the one or more components or sensors may include aproximity sensor, a rear camera, a flash, and/or the like. In anotherembodiment, at least part of a sub-display 252 may be visually exposedthrough a second rear area 251 of the second rear cover 250.

The display 230 may be disposed in a space formed by the pair of housingstructures 210 and 220. For example, the display 230 may be seated inthe recess (e.g., the recess 201 in FIG. 2) formed by the pair ofhousing structures 210 and 220, and may be disposed to occupysubstantially the majority of the front face of the electronic device200. For example, the front face of the electronic device 200 mayinclude the display 230, and an area (e.g., a peripheral area) of thefirst housing structure 210 and an area (e.g., a peripheral area) of thesecond housing structure 220, which are adjacent to the display 230. Inan embodiment, the rear face of the electronic device 200 may includethe first rear cover 240, an area (e.g., a peripheral area) of the firsthousing structure 210 adjacent to the first rear cover 240, the secondrear cover 250, and an area (e.g., a peripheral area) of the secondhousing structure 220 adjacent to the second rear cover 250.

According to an embodiment, the display 230 may include a display inwhich at least one area is deformable into a planar face or a curvedface. In an embodiment, the display 230 may include a folding area 231c, a first area 231 a disposed on one side of the folding area 231 c(e.g., the right area of the folding area 231 c), and a second area 231b disposed on the other side of the folding area 231 c (e.g., the leftarea of the folding area 231 c). For example, the first area 231 a maybe disposed in the first face 211 of the first housing structure 210,and the second area 231 b may be disposed in the third face 221 of thesecond housing structure 220. For example, the display 230 may extendfrom the first face 211 to the third face 221 across the hinge structure264 in FIG. 4, and at least an area corresponding to the hinge structure(e.g., the folding area 231 c) may be a flexible area that is deformablefrom a flat plate shape to a curved shape.

In an embodiment, the area division of the display 230 is exemplary, andthe display 230 may be divided into multiple areas (e.g., four or moreareas or two areas) depending on the structure or functions thereof. Forexample, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the folding area 231 cextends in the direction of the vertical axis (e.g., the Y axis in FIG.4) parallel to the folding axis A, and the area of the display 230 maybe divided with reference to the folding area 231 c or the folding axis(A axis). However, in another embodiment, the area of the display 230may be divided with reference to another folding area (e.g., a foldingarea parallel to the horizontal axis (e.g., the X axis in FIG. 4)) oranother folding axis (e.g., a folding axis parallel to the X axis inFIG. 4). The aforementioned area division of the display is merely aphysical division based on a pair of housing structures 210 and 220 anda hinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 264 in FIG. 4), and thedisplay 230 may display one full screen substantially through the pairof housing structures 210 and 220 and the hinge structure (e.g., thehinge structure 264 in FIG. 4).

According to an embodiment, the first area 231 a and the second area 231b may have generally symmetrical shapes about the folding area 231 c.However, unlike the second area 231 b, the first area 231 a may includea notch area (e.g., the notch area 233 in FIG. 4), which corresponds tothe sensor area 231 d. The first area 231 a may have a shape symmetricalto the second area 231 b in the area other than the sensor area. Inother words, the first area 231 a and the second area 231 b may includemutually symmetrical portions and mutually asymmetrical portions.

Referring to FIG. 3, the hinge cover 265 may be disposed between thefirst housing structure 210 and the second housing structure 220 so asto cover internal components (e.g., the hinge structure 264 in FIG. 4).For brevity of description, the hinge cover 265 is disclosed separatelyfrom the hinge structure 264. However, as described above, the hingecover 265 may partially form the appearance of the electronic device 200while serving as part of the hinge structure 264. In an embodiment, thehinge cover 265 may be covered by a part of the first and second housingstructures 210 and 220 or may be exposed to the outside depending on theoperating state of the electronic device 200 (the unfolded state or thefolded state).

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when the electronic device 200 isin the unfolded state, the hinge cover 265 may not be exposed by beingcovered by the first housing structure 210 and the second housingstructure 220. As another example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, when theelectronic device 200 is in the folded state (e.g., the completelyfolded state), the hinge cover 265 may be exposed to the outside betweenthe first housing structure 210 and the second housing structure 220. Asstill another example, when the first housing structure 210 and thesecond housing structure 220 are in the intermediate state in which thefirst housing structure 210 and the second housing structure 220 arefolded to form a predetermined angle therebetween, a part of the hingecover 265 may be exposed to the outside between the first housingstructure 210 and the second housing structure 220. In this case, theexposed area may be smaller than that in the completely folded state. Inan embodiment, the hinge cover 265 may include a curved face.

Hereinafter, operations of the first housing structure 210 and thesecond housing structure 220 and respective areas of the display 230depending on the operating state of the electronic device 200 (e.g., theunfolded state and the folded state) will be described.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in the unfoldedstate (e.g., the state of FIG. 2), the first housing structure 210 andthe second housing structure 220 may form an angle of 180 degreestherebetween, and the first area 231 a and the second area 231 b of thedisplay may be disposed to face the same direction, for example, todisplay screens in directions parallel to each other. In addition, thefolding area 231 c may form the same plane as the first area 231 a andthe second area 231 b.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in the folded state(e.g., the state of FIG. 3), the first housing structure 210 and thesecond housing structure 220 may be disposed to face each other. Forexample, when the electronic device 200 is in the folded state (forexample, the state of FIG. 3), the first area 231 a and the second area231 b of the display 230 may form a narrow angle (e.g., 0 to 10 degrees)therebetween and may face each other. When the electronic device 200 isin the folded state (e.g., the state of FIG. 3), at least a part of thefolding area 231 c may form a curved surface having a predeterminedcurvature.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in the intermediatestate, the first housing structure 210 and the second housing structure220 may be disposed to form a predetermined angle therebetween. Forexample, in the intermediate state, the first area 231 a and the secondarea 231 b of the display 230 may form an angle larger than that in thefolded state and smaller than that in the unfolded state. At least apart of the folding area 231 c may have a curved face having apredetermined curvature, and the curvature in this case may be smallerthan that in the folded state.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, in an embodiment, the electronic device 200 mayinclude the display 230, a support member assembly 260, at least oneprinted circuit board 270, a first housing structure 210, a secondhousing structure 220, a first rear cover 240, and a second rear cover250. Herein, the display 230 may be referred to as a display module or adisplay assembly.

The display 230 may include a display panel 231 (e.g., a flexibledisplay panel), and at least one plate 232 or layer on which the displaypanel 231 is seated. In an embodiment, the plate 232 may be disposedbetween the display panel 231 and the support member assembly 260. Thedisplay panel 231 may be disposed on at least a part of one face (e.g.,the face in the Z direction in FIG. 4) of the plate 232. The plate 232may be formed in a shape corresponding to that of the display panel 231.For example, an area of the plate 232 may be formed in a shapecorresponding to that of the notch area 233 in the display panel 231.

The support member assembly 260 may include a first support member 261,a second support member 262, the hinge structure 264 disposed betweenthe first support member 261 and the second support member 262, thehinge cover 265 that covers the hinge structure 264 when the hingestructure 264 is viewed from the outside, and a wiring member 263 (e.g.,a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)) extending across the first andsecond support members 261 and 262.

In an embodiment, the support member assembly 260 may be disposedbetween the plate 232 and at least one printed circuit board 270. Forexample, the first support member 261 may be disposed between the firstarea 231 a of the display 230 and a first printed circuit board 271. Thesecond support member 262 may be disposed between the second area 231 bof the display 230 and a second printed circuit board 272.

In an embodiment, at least a part of the wiring member 263 and the hingestructure 264 may be disposed inside the support member assembly 260.The wiring member 263 may be disposed in a direction across the firstsupport member 261 and the second support member 262 (e.g., the X-axisdirection). The wiring member 263 may be disposed in a directionperpendicular to the folding axis (e.g., the Y axis or the folding axisA in FIG. 1) of the folding area 231 c (e.g., the X-axis direction).

As described above, the at least one printed circuit board 270 mayinclude a first printed circuit board 271 disposed on the first supportmember 261 side and a second printed circuit board 272 disposed on thesecond support member 262 side. The first printed circuit board 271 andthe second printed circuit board 272 may be disposed in a space formedby the support member assembly 260, the first housing structure 210, thesecond housing structure 220, the first rear cover 240, and the secondrear cover 250. On the first printed circuit board 271 and the secondprinted circuit board 272, components for implementing various functionsof the electronic device 200 (e.g., the components in FIG. 1) may bemounted.

In an embodiment, the first housing structure 210 and the second housingstructure 220 may be assembled to each other so as to be coupled to theopposite sides of the support member assembly 260 in the state in whichthe display 230 is coupled to the support member assembly 260. The firsthousing structure 210 and the second housing structure 220 may beslidably coupled to the opposite sides of the support member assembly260, for example, the first support member 261 and the second supportmember 262, respectively.

In an embodiment, the first housing structure 210 may include a firstrotational support face 214 (e.g., a fourth side face 514 in FIG. 5 tobe described later), and the second housing structure 220 may include asecond rotational support face 224 (e.g., an eighth side face 524 inFIG. 5 to be described later), which corresponds to the first rotationalsupport face 214. The first rotational support face 214 and the secondrotational support face 224 may include curved faces corresponding tocurved faces included in the hinge cover 265.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 is in the unfoldedstate (e.g., the state of FIG. 2), the first rotational support face 214and the second rotational support face 224 cover the hinge cover 265, sothat the hinge cover 265 may not be exposed or may be minimally exposedto the rear face of the electronic device 200. In an embodiment, whenthe electronic device 200 is in the unfolded state (e.g., the state ofFIG. 3), the first rotational support face 214 and the second rotationalsupport face 224 rotate along a curved face in which the hinge cover 265is included, so that the hinge cover 265 may be maximally exposed to therear face of the electronic device 200.

In the foregoing detailed description, as in the first housing structure210, the second housing structure 220, the first side member 213, thesecond side member 223, and the like, ordinal numbers are used merely todistinguish components. It should be noted that various embodiments arenot limited by the description of the ordinal numbers. For example,although the sensor area 231 d is illustrated as being formed in thefirst housing structure 210, the sensor area 231 d may be formed in thesecond housing structure 220 or may be formed in both the first andsecond housing structures 210 and 220. In another embodiment, aconfiguration in which the first rear area 241 is disposed in the firstrear cover 240 and the second rear area 251 is disposed on the secondrear cover 250, is illustrated. However, both the first rear area 241 onwhich a sensor or the like is disposed and the second rear area 251 onwhich a sub-display (e.g., the sub-display 252 for outputting a screen)is disposed may be disposed on any one of the first rear cover 240 andthe second rear cover 250.

According to various embodiments, an antenna device may be disposed onthe first housing structure or the second housing structure. In thefollowing detailed description, an antenna device according to variousembodiments will be described with reference to a configuration in whichthe antenna device is generally disposed in the second housing structureas an example. However, as mentioned above, it should be noted thatvarious embodiments are not limited thereto and that an electronicdevice according to various embodiments may include an antenna devicedisposed in the first housing structure.

FIG. 5 is a view for describing a configuration of a side member(s) inan electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, the side members (e.g., the first side member 213and second side member 223 in FIG. 4) may include a first side member501 provided as a part of the first housing structure 210 of FIG. 2 anda second side member 502 provided as a part of the second housingstructure 220 of FIG. 2. In an embodiment, the first side member 501 andthe second side member 502 may have frame shapes that surround the innerspace of the housing structures (e.g., the first housing structure 210and the second housing structure 220 in FIG. 2). In some embodiments,the first side member 501 and the second side member 502 may havesubstantially the same structure even though they are somewhat differentin some shapes. According to an embodiment, the first side member 501and the second side member 502 may at least partially include aconductive material. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates substantiallyconductive material portions of the first side member 501 and the secondside member 502. The first side member 501 and the second side member502 may be completed as a closed curve shape by including anon-conductive material, for example, an insulating material.

According to various embodiments, the first side member 501 may includea first side face 511 (e.g., the first side face 213 a in FIG. 2 or 3),a second side face 512 (e.g., the second side face 213 b in FIG. 2 or3), a third side face 513 (e.g., the third side face 213 c in FIG. 2 or3), or a fourth side face 514 (e.g., the first rotational support facein FIG. 4). In some embodiments, the first to fourth side faces 511,512, 513, and 514 may be referred to as “first to fourth side frames”.In one embodiment, the first side face 511 may be arranged side by sidewith or parallel to a folding axis (e.g., the folding axis A in FIG. 2).The second side face 512 may extend from one end (e.g., the upper end)of the first side face 511 in a direction crossing or substantiallyperpendicular to the folding axis A, and the third side face 513 mayextend from the other end (e.g., the lower end) of the first side face511 in a direction crossing or substantially perpendicular to thefolding axis A, so that the second side face 512 and the third face 513may extend substantially parallel to each other. The fourth side face514 may extend substantially parallel to the folding axis A or the firstside face 511, and may connect the ends of the second side face 512 andthe third side face 513 to each other. In an embodiment, the fourth sideface 514 may be arranged adjacent to the hinge structure or the hingecover (e.g., the hinge structure 264 or the hinge cover 265 in FIG. 4),and may extend in the direction of the folding axis A substantiallyparallel to the hinge structure 264 or the hinge cover 265. Here, thewording “a structure is arranged adjacent to another structure” may meanthat the two structures are disposed close to each other but are not indirect contact with each other. For example, “a structure is arrangedadjacent to another structure” may mean that two structures are arrangedparallel to each other with a predetermined interval there between.

According to various embodiments, the first side member 501 may includeslits 515 a, 515 b, 515 c, and 515 d that at least partially separatethe conductive material portions. In some embodiments, the slits 515 a,515 b, 515 c, and 515 d may be filled with a nonconductive material, inwhich a slit filled with a nonconductive material may be referred to asa “nonconductive portion” or “nonconductive material portion” as needed.A structure made of an insulating material may be formed in at least apart of the area surrounded by the first to fourth side faces 511, 512,513, and 514. In some embodiments, the slits 515 a, 515 b, 515 c, and515 d may be filled with an insulating material. For example, the firstside member 501 may include a non-conductive portion, a non-conductivematerial portion, or an insulating material portion that insulates aconductive material portion from another conductive material portion.

According to various embodiments, a first slit 515 a and a second slit515 b among the slits 515 a, 515 b, 515 c, and 515 d (e.g.,non-conductive portions) are formed in the third side face 513. Forexample, at least a part of the third side face 513 may be insulatedfrom another conductive material portion. In some embodiments, a thirdslit 515 c and a fourth slit 515 d among the slits 515 a, 515 b, 515 c,and 515 d may be formed in the second side face 512. For example, atleast a part of the second side face 512 may be insulated from anotherconductive material portion. In an embodiment, the second side face 512or the third side face 513 insulated from other conductive materialportions may function as an antenna of an electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 200 in FIG. 2). For example, a processor or acommunication module (e.g., the processor 120 or the communicationmodule 190 in FIG. 1) of the electronic device 200 may perform wirelesscommunication using at least a part of the second side face 512 or thethird side face 513.

According to various embodiments, a part of the first side face 511 (orthe fourth side face 514) may be electrically connected to a printedcircuit board (e.g., the first printed circuit board 271 in FIG. 4) soas to be used as a radiating conductor. For example, a feeding portionmay be connected to a position adjacent to the second slit 515 b at thelower end of the first side face 511, a ground portion may be connectedto another position in the first side face 511, and a conductivematerial portion forming the first side face 511 between the feedingportion-connected position and the ground-portion-connected position mayform a part of an antenna.

According to various embodiments, the second side member 502 may includea fifth side face 521 (e.g., the fourth side face 223 a in FIG. 2 or 3),a sixth side face 522 (e.g., the fifth side face 223 b in FIG. 2 or 3),a seventh side face 523 (e.g., the sixth side face 223 c in FIG. 2 or3), or an eighth side face 524 (e.g., the second rotational support facein FIG. 4). In some embodiments, the fifth to eighth side faces 521,522, 523, and 524 may be referred to as “fifth to eighth side frames”.In an embodiment, the fifth side face 521 may be arranged side by sidewith or parallel to the folding axis (e.g., the folding axis A in FIG.2). The sixth side face 522 may extend from one end (e.g., the upperend) of the fifth side face 521 in a direction crossing or substantiallyperpendicular to the folding axis A, and the seventh side face 523 mayextend from the other end (e.g., the lower end) of the fifth side face521 in a direction crossing or substantially perpendicular to thefolding axis A, so that the sixth side face 522 and the seventh face 523may extend substantially parallel to each other. The eighth side face524 may extend substantially parallel to the folding axis A, and mayconnect the ends of the sixth side face 522 and the seventh side face523 to each other. In an embodiment, the eighth side face 524 may bearranged adjacent to the hinge structure or the hinge cover (e.g., thehinge structure 264 or the hinge cover 265 in FIG. 4), and may extend inthe direction of the folding axis A substantially parallel to the hingestructure or the hinge cover.

According to various embodiments, the second side member 502 may includeother slits 525 a, 525 b, 525 c, and 525 d that at least partiallyseparate the conductive material portions. A structure made of aninsulating material may be formed in at least a part of the areasurrounded by the fifth to eighth side faces 521, 522, 523, and 524. Insome embodiments, the slits 525 a, 525 b, 525 c, and 525 d may be filledwith an insulating material. For example, the second side member 502 mayinclude an insulating material portion that insulates a conductivematerial portion from another conductive material portion.

According to various embodiments, the fifth slit 525 a among the slits525 a, 525 b, 525 c, and 525 d may be formed to cross the conductivematerial portion of the eighth side surface 524. As will be describedwith reference to FIG. 7A, the fifth slit 525 a may be filled with aninsulating material I. In some embodiments, another slit, for example, aninth slit 515 e, may be formed at a position corresponding to the fifthslit 525 a in the fourth side face 514. According to an embodiment, whenthe ninth slit 515 e is formed in the fourth side face 514, the firstslit 515 a may not be formed. A sixth slit 525 b among the slits 525 a,525 b, 525 c, and 525 d may be formed in the seventh side face 523. Forexample, at least a part of the seventh side face 523 may be connectedto at least a part of the eighth side face 524, and may be insulatedfrom another conductive material portion by the fifth slit 525 a and thesixth slit 525 b. In some embodiments, the seventh slit 525 c and theeight slit 525 d among the slits 525 a, 525 b, 525 c, and 525 d may beformed in the sixth side face 522. For example, at least a part of thesixth side face 522 may be insulated from another conductive materialportion. In an embodiment, the sixth side face 522 or the seventh sideface 523 insulated from other conductive material portions may functionas an antenna (e.g., a radiating conductor) of an electronic device(e.g., the electronic device 200 in FIG. 2). For example, a processor ora communication module (e.g., the processor 120 or the communicationmodule 190 in FIG. 1) of the electronic device 200 may perform wirelesscommunication using at least a part of the sixth side face or theseventh side face.

According to various embodiments, a part of the fifth side face 521 (orthe eighth side face 524) may be electrically connected to a printedcircuit board (e.g., the second printed circuit board 272 in FIG. 4) soas to be used as a radiating conductor. For example, a wirelesscommunication circuit (e.g., the wireless communication module 192 inFIG. 1 or a feeding portion F in FIG. 6) may be connected to a position(e.g., the fourth position P4 or the second feeding point) adjacent tothe sixth slit 525 b at the lower end of the fifth side face 521, aground portion may be connected to another position in the fifth sideface 521, and a conductive material portion forming the fifth side face521 between the feeding portion-connected position and theground-portion-connected position may form a part of an antenna.

As mentioned above, it is noted that ordinal numbers are used merely todistinguish components, and various embodiments are not limited by thedescription of the ordinal numbers. For example, the first side member501 may be referred to as a “second side member” in another embodiment,and the fifth side face 521 may be referred to as a “first side face” inanother embodiment. For example, some of the components are described tobe distinguished from each other by the ordinal numbers, but this ismerely for the sake of brevity of description, and various embodimentsshould be understood through the arrangement of related components,connection structures therebetween or the like.

An example in which an antenna device is configured using the structureof the side members described above will be further described withreference to FIG. 6. The configuration example in FIG. 6 may be anexample, in which one of conductive material portions, which isinsulated from the other conductive material portions by theabove-described slits, is configured as a radiating conductor. It hasbeen mentioned above that, in another embodiment, an antenna device maybe formed using another conductive material portion not illustrated inFIG. 5, for example, a part of the first side face 511 or the fifth sideface 521. The second side face 512 or the sixth side face 522 may alsobe partially used as a radiating conductor. In the following detaileddescription, the components that are the same as those of the precedingembodiments or can be easily understood from the descriptions of thepreceding embodiments may be denoted by the same reference numerals orthe reference numerals thereof or may be omitted, and the detaileddescriptions thereof may also be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a view for describing a configuration of an antenna device inan electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Inmore detail, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by “B” inFIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 6, an antenna device 600 may include, as a radiatingconductor 627, at least a part of the seventh side face 523 between thefifth slit 525 a formed in a first conductive portion (e.g., a part ofthe eighth side face 524) and the sixth slit 525 b formed in a secondconductive portion (e.g., a part of the seventh side face 523). In anembodiment, at least a part of the second conductive portionconstituting the seventh side face 523 may be provided as the radiatingconductor 627. In some embodiments, the fifth slit 525 a and the sixthslit 525 b may be filled with an insulating material. For example, afirst non-conductive portion may be formed in the fifth slit 525 a so asto mechanically connect or couple two adjacent conductive portions whileelectrically insulating the two conductive portions. In anotherembodiment, a second non-conductive portion may be formed in the sixthslit 525 b so as to mechanically connect or couple two adjacentconductive portions while electrically insulating the two conductiveportions.

According to various embodiments, the first conductive portion may be apart of the eighth side face 524 or may form the whole of the eighthside face 524, and may extend adjacent and parallel to the first axis(e.g., the folding axis A in FIG. 2). In another embodiment, the secondconductive portion may be a part of the seventh side face 523 or mayform the whole of the seventh side face 523, and may extendperpendicular to the folding axis A. In some embodiments, a part or thewhole of the aforementioned fifth side face 521 may form the thirdconductive portion parallel to the folding axis A or the firstconductive portion. According to an embodiment, a first non-conductiveportion may be inserted between the first conductive portion and thesecond conductive portion and a second non-conductive portion may beinserted between the second conductive portion and the third conductiveportion so as to mechanically connect or couple two adjacent conductiveportions.

According to various embodiments, in the antenna device 600, a part ofthe eighth side face 524 may also form a part of the radiating conductor627 depending on the position of the fifth slit 525 a. As will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, a part of the fifth sideface 521 may also form a part of the radiating conductor 627 dependingon the position of the sixth slit 525 a. In some embodiments, when apart of the eighth side face 524 and a part of the fifth side face 521form a part of the radiating conductor 627, the entire seventh side face523 may be substantially included the radiating conductor 627.

According to various embodiments, the fifth slit 525 a may be formed inthe eighth side face 524 at a position corresponding to a distance dfrom the outer side face of the seventh side face 523 in the directionin which the eighth side face 524 extends. According to an embodiment,when the fifth slit 525 a is formed at a distance d of 2 mm or more fromthe outer face of the seventh side face 523, it is possible to provide astrength required in the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device200 in FIG. 2). According to another embodiment, when the fifth slit 525a is formed at a distance d of 25 mm or more from the outer face of theseventh side face 523, it is possible to provide a radiating conductor(e.g., the radiating conductor 627) having radiation performancerequired in the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 200 inFIG. 2). In some embodiments, when the fifth slit 525 a is formed at adistance d of not less than 4 mm and not more than 7.5 mm from the outerface of the seventh side face 523, it is possible to provide a radiatingconductor that satisfies radiation performance while providing astructural strength required in the electronic device. Radiatingcharacteristics depending on the position of the fifth slit 525 a willbe additionally described with reference to FIG. 13 or FIG. 15. It isnoted that the above numerical values relating to the position of thefifth slit 525 a are illustrative values applicable to an electronicdevice, in which the width (e.g., the length in the X-axis direction inFIG. 4) of the second side member 502 is approximately 100 mm, andvarious embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the fifth slit525 a may be formed at a position different from the exemplifiednumerical values in consideration of the size of the electronic deviceto be actually manufactured or the resonance frequency to be formedusing the radiating conductor 627. For example, when the fifth slit 525a is formed at a distance d of about 2 mm or more and 25 mm or less fromthe outer face of the seventh side face 523, it is possible to provide aradiating conductor that satisfies a strength and radiation performancerequired in the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 200 inFIG. 2). The position of the fifth slit 525 a may vary depending on thesize of the actually manufactured electronic device or the size andshape of the slot.

According to various embodiments, the radiating conductor 627 may beelectrically connected to a printed circuit board (e.g., the secondprinted circuit board 272 in FIG. 4). For example, the radiatingconductor may be electrically connected to a ground portion G providedon the printed circuit board, and may receive power through the feedingportion F. In an embodiment, the feeding portion F connected to awireless communication circuit (e.g., the processor 120 or thecommunication module 190 in FIG. 1) is electrically connected to theradiating conductor 627 (e.g., the seventh side face 523) at a firstposition P1 adjacent to the sixth slit 525 b, and a ground member, forexample, the ground portion G, may be connected to the radiatingconductor 627 at a second position P2 between the first position P1(e.g., the first feeding point) and the fifth slit 525 a. For example,an inverted-F antenna (IFA) structure may be formed using the radiatingconductor 627. According to an embodiment, the end face E of theradiating conductor 627 adjacent to the fifth slit 525 a may be exposedto the external space in the state in which the electronic device 200 isfolded as illustrated in FIG. 3.

In the antenna device 600 (e.g., an inverted-F antenna structure)illustrated in FIG. 6, a radiation potential difference with aperipheral ground around a point (e.g., the end face E of the radiatingconductor) that is furthest, on the radiating conductor 627, from thepoint at which a wireless communication circuit, for example, thefeeding portion F, is connected, may be greater than the other portionsof the radiating conductor 627, and a relatively higher number ofelectromagnetic fields may be formed in a portion having the greaterradiation potential than in the other portions. For example, theradiation power in the end face E of the radiating conductor 627 may behigher than that in the other portions of the radiating conductor 627.When the end face E of the radiating conductor 627 is disposed to faceanother structure (e.g., another conductive material portion of thesecond side member 502), radiation power may be induced to the otherstructure. For example, parasitic currents may occur in the otherstructure, which may lower the radiation power of the antenna device600. In an embodiment, in the state in which the electronic device 200is folded as illustrated in FIG. 3, such a decrease in radiation powermay be more prominent. According to various embodiments, in the state inwhich the electronic device 200 is folded, the end face E of theradiating conductor may be exposed to the external space so as tosuppress the occurrence of parasitic current and the like and tosuppress or prevent the reduction of the radiation power. An exampleconfiguration in which the end face E of the radiating conductor 627 isexposed to the external space in the state in which the electronicdevice 200 is folded will be further described with reference to FIG.7A.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 200 in FIG. 2) may further include a switch unit Sdisposed in a space formed by a foldable housing (e.g., the pair ofhousing structures 210 and 220 described above). The switch unit S maybe connected to the radiating conductor 627 at a third position P3(e.g., the second ground point) between the second position P2 (e.g.,the first ground point) and the fifth slit 525 a, and may be selectivelyconnected to the radiating conductor 627 through one of a plurality ofmatching paths M1, M2, . . . , and Mx. The antenna ground may includethe above-described ground portion G. Here, the wording “the switch unitselectively connects one of the plurality of matching paths to theradiating conductor” means that the switch unit S does not connect theradiating conductor 627 and an antenna ground (e.g., the ground portionG) to each other or may connect the radiating conductor 627 and theantenna ground through a selected matching path among the matching pathsM1, M2, . . . , and Mx under the control of a processor (e.g., theprocessor 120 of FIG. 1). According to an embodiment, the switch unit Smay connect the radiating conductor 627 and the antenna ground to eachother by selectively combining two or more matching paths under thecontrol of the processor. According to an embodiment, by connecting theradiating conductor 627 and the antenna ground to each other through theselected matching path using the switch unit S, it is possible tostabilize the radiation characteristics of the antenna device 600 or toadjust the resonance frequency. According to an embodiment, the antennaground (e.g., the ground portion G) may include a ground area of acircuit board provided in the electronic device 200, a ground providedin a display (e.g., the display 230 of FIG. 4), or a metal structureelectrically connected to such a ground. In some embodiments, thematching paths M1, M2, . . . , and Mx may be in the state of beingconnected to the second position P2 and a common ground (e.g., theground portion G).

According to various embodiments, the wireless communication circuit maybe electrically connected to the first position P1 (e.g., the firstfeeding point) so as to perform wireless communication using theradiating conductor 627. According to an embodiment, the radiatingconductor 627 may form resonance frequencies of various frequency bandsdepending on the electrical length thereof, and the wirelesscommunication circuit may be configured to transmit or receive a signalof, for example, a frequency band from about 500 MHz to 6 GHz using theradiating conductor described above. According to an embodiment, theelectronic device 200 may include a plurality of wireless communicationcircuits, and each wireless communication circuit may transmit orreceive signals of different frequency bands using the radiatingconductor 627.

According to various embodiments, independent of the radiating conductor627, the fifth side face 521 may be electrically connected to thefeeding portion F, and a part of the conductive material portion of thefifth side face 521 may be utilized as an additional radiating conductorforming another resonant frequency. For example, the electronic device200 may perform wireless communication using a part of the fifth sideface 521. According to an embodiment, the fifth side face 521 may beelectrically connected to the ground portion at another position.

FIG. 7A is a view illustrating a side face of an electronic device in afolded state according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 7B is across-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an electronicdevice in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the first side member 501 and the secondside member 502 of an electronic device 700 are rotatably coupled toeach other via a hinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 264 in FIG.4) or a hinge cover 265. In some embodiments, the hinge cover 265 may beexposed to the outside of the electronic device 700 while serving as apart of the hinge structure 264. In an embodiment, the hinge cover 265may be disposed such that an interval or a gap g exists between thehinge cover 265 and the first side member 501 or the second side member502. For example, the hinge cover 265 may be disposed in the state inwhich the hinge cover 265 is not in direct contact with the fourth sideface 514 or the eighth side face 524 (e.g., the first rotational supportface 214 or the second rotational support face 224 in FIG. 4). In thestate in which the electronic device 700 is folded or unfolded, the gapg may be maintained between the first side member 501 and the hingecover 265 or between the second side member 502 and the hinge cover 265.

According to various embodiments, by forming the gap g between the hingecover 265 and the fourth side face 514 or the eighth side face 524, theoperation of folding or unfolding the electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 200 in FIG. 2) may be smoothly performed. For example,it is possible to prevent friction between the hinge cover 265 and thefirst side member 501 or the second side member 502. In anotherembodiment, the hinge cover 265 may at least partially include aconductive material, and may be disposed adjacent to the housingstructure, for example, the conductive material portion of the firstside member 501 or the second side member 502.

According to various embodiments, in the state in which the first sidemember 501 and the second side member 502 are folded to face each other,for example, in the state in which the electronic device 700 is foldedas illustrated in FIG. 3, an end portion (e.g., the end face E in FIG.6) of the seventh side face 523 may be exposed to the external space.For example, in the state in which the electronic device 700 is folded,the radiating conductor (e.g., the radiating conductor 627 in FIG. 6)may be provided with an environment in which radio waves are capable ofbeing smoothly transmitted/received. In an embodiment, the radiatingconductor 627 may be insulated from other portions of the eighth sideface 524 by the fifth slit 525 a. The fifth slit 525 a may be filledwith an insulating material I so as to secure or maintain the mechanicalstrength of the second side member 502 while insulating the radiatingconductor 627 from another conductive material portion.

According to various embodiments, the first side member 501 may includethe ninth slit 515 e corresponding to the first slit 525 a. For example,in the state in which the electronic device 700 is folded, the ninthslit 515 e may be disposed at a position symmetrical to the fifth slit525 a with respect to the hinge cover 265, and when the electronicdevice 700 is unfolded, the ninth slit 515 e may be positionedsubstantially adjacent to the fifth slit 525 a. In an embodiment, theninth slit 515 e may also be filled with an insulating material I. Inthe state in which the electronic device 700 is folded, the end face ofthe third side face 513 may be disposed parallel to the end face E ofthe radiating conductor. In an embodiment, when the electronic device700 is unfolded, the third side face 513 may be brought into contactwith or electrically connected to the seventh side face 523 or the endface E of the radiating conductor. For example, in the state in whichthe electronic device 700 is unfolded, a part of the third side face 513may transmit/receive radio waves together with a radiating conductor(e.g., the radiating conductor 627 in FIG. 6).

According to various embodiments, the first side member 501 or thesecond side member 502 may each include a conductive portion and anon-conductive portion similar to the structure of FIG. 6, and at leastthe non-conductive portions may be arranged to be symmetric to eachother. For example, in the state in which the electronic device 700 isin the folded state, when viewed from the outside of the hinge structureor the hinge cover 265, the fifth slit 525 a and the ninth slit 515 e(or the non-conductive portions disposed therein) may be aligned to beadjacent to each other. In an embodiment, similar to the sixth slit 525b of FIG. 6, the second slit 515 b may be formed in the first sidemember 501. In some embodiments, in the state in which the electronicdevice 700 is folded, when viewed from the outside of the seventh sideface 523 or the second conductive portion, the second slit 515 b formedin the first side member 501 may be aligned to be adjacent to the sixthslit 525 b formed in the second side member 502. For example, in thestate in which the electronic device 700 is folded, when viewed from theoutside of the seventh side face 523 or the second conductive portion,the non-conductive portions, which are respectively formed in the secondslit 515 b and the sixth slit 525 b, may be aligned to be adjacent toeach other.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 200 in FIG. 2) may further include a tenth slit 725 aformed in the hinge structure, for example, the hinge cover 265. Thetenth slit 725 a may be disposed to be substantially adjacent to thefifth slit 525 a or the ninth slit 515 e. For example, the hingestructure or the hinge cover 265 may be formed of a conductive material,and the tenth slit 725 a may also be filled with an insulating material.According to an embodiment, the width w of the tenth slit 725 a may beequal to or larger than that of the fifth slit 525 a. Depending onwhether the tenth slit 725 a is formed or depending on the width w ofthe tenth slit 725 a, the wireless communication performance of theelectronic device 700 or the antenna device including the radiatingconductor 627 may vary. For example, whether to form the tenth slit 725a or the width w of the tenth slit 725 a may be designed inconsideration of wireless communication performance requested from theelectronic device 700.

In a foldable electronic device, when a conductive material portion in ahousing structure is used as a radiating conductor, changes in radiationcharacteristic depending on the position of a slit (e.g., the fifth slit525 a in FIG. 6) will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 13.

FIG. 8 is a view representing an electromagnetic field distributionformed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of thedisclosure. FIG. 9 is a view representing an electromagnetic fielddistribution formed by an electronic device according to an embodimentof the disclosure. FIG. 10 is a graph representing measured radiationefficiency of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, an example structure is illustrated in whicha pair slits are formed in a seventh side face 823 (or a non-illustratedseventh side face) rather than in a fifth side face 821 or an eighthside face 824 in forming a radiating conductor 827 by forming slits 825a in the second side member 802 of the electronic device 800. Forexample, when the fifth slit 525 a of FIG. 6 is formed in the eighthside face 824, a fifth slit 825 a may be formed in the seventh side face823 in FIG. 8, and the radiating conductor 827 of FIG. 8 may besubstantially formed by a part of the seventh side 823. For example, inthe structure of FIG. 8, a sixth slit 825 b may be formed atsubstantially the same position as the sixth slit 525 b of FIG. 6.

According to an embodiment, in connecting the feeding portion and theground portion to the radiating conductor 827 of FIG. 8, substantiallythe same conditions as the structure illustrated in FIG. 6 aremaintained. When performing wireless communication using the radiatingconductor 827, an electromagnetic field distribution of H field formedaround the second side member 802 of the electronic device 800 isrepresented in FIG. 8, and an electromagnetic field distribution of Efield is represented in FIG. 9.

FIG. 10 is a graph illustrating radiation efficiency measured before andafter the electronic device 800 of FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 is folded, in which“R1” indicates radiation efficiency in the state in which the electronicdevice 800 is unfolded and “R2” indicates radiation efficiency in thestate in which the electronic device 800 is folded.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, electromagnetic fields are formedsubstantially around the radiating conductor 827, and theelectromagnetic fields may be more concentrated between the housingstructures (e.g., a first side member 801 and the second side member802) in the state in which the electronic device 800 is in the foldedstate. For example, it is expected that the electronic device 800 ofFIG. 8 or FIG. 9 may be subjected to radiation efficiency reduction inthe state in which the electronic device 800 is folded. Referring toFIG. 10, it can be seen that, while the electronic device forms aresonance frequency of about 840 MHz, the radiation efficiency R2 in thefolded state is reduced by about 3 dB compared to the radiationefficiency R1 in the unfolded state.

FIG. 11 is a view representing an electromagnetic field distributionformed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of thedisclosure. FIG. 12 is a view representing an electromagnetic fielddistribution formed by an electronic device according to an embodimentof the disclosure. FIG. 13 is a graph representing radiation efficiencyof the electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, an electromagnetic field distribution isillustrated as measured in the state in which the fifth slit 525 a isdisposed in the eighth side face 524 to implement a radiating conductor627 and the feeding portion and the ground portion are also connected inthe same manner as the structure illustrated in FIG. 6. When performingwireless communication using the radiating conductor 627, anelectromagnetic field distribution of H field formed around the secondside member 502 of the electronic device 500 is represented in FIG. 11,and an electromagnetic field distribution of E field is represented inFIG. 12.

Comparing FIG. 8 with FIG. 11, it can be seen that electromagneticfields are distributed in a wider area or space in the electronic deviceof FIG. 11. Through this, it can be seen that better radiationperformance is achieved in the structure of FIG. 11. In an embodiment,when comparing with the electromagnetic field distribution in theelectronic device 800 (or the second side member 802) of FIG. 8, it canbe seen that, in the structure of FIG. 11, electromagnetic fields aredistributed to the outer space even around the end face E of theradiating conductor 627. For example, even in the folded state, sincethe end face E of the radiating conductor is exposed to the externalspace even in the folded state, the electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 200 in FIG. 2) may secure better radiation performancethrough the arrangement of a slit (e.g., the fifth slit 525 a) asillustrated in FIG. 6 or FIG. 11.

When comparing FIG. 9 with FIG. 12, in the state in which the electronicdevice 800 of FIG. 9 is folded, electromagnetic fields are concentratedbetween the first side member 801 and the second side member 802. Thus,it can be expected that the efficiency of wireless communication isreduced. In the electronic device 500 of FIG. 12, it can be seen that,even in the folded state, electromagnetic fields are well distributed tothe outer space not only around the end portion of the radiatingconductor 627, but also around the first side member 501. For example,in the state in which the fifth slit 525 a is formed in the eighth sideface 524, the radiating conductor 627 is implemented using the seventhside face 523, and the electronic device 500 is folded, it is possibleto ensure good wireless communication performance since the end portionor end face E of the radiating conductor 627 is exposed to the externalspace.

FIG. 13 is a graph illustrating radiation efficiency measured before andafter the electronic device 500 of FIG. 11 or FIG. 12 is folded, inwhich “R3” indicates radiation efficiency in the state in which theelectronic device 500 is unfolded and “R4” indicates radiationefficiency in the state in which the electronic device 500 is folded.Referring to FIG. 13, in the unfolded state, the electronic device 500may form a resonance frequency of about 695 MHz, and in the foldedstate, the electronic device 500 may form a resonance frequency of about770 MHz. According to an embodiment, it can be seen that, although theradiation efficiency in the folded state of the electronic device 500 isslightly lower than that in the unfolded state, the difference is onlyabout 0.1 dB. For example, when the radiating conductor (e.g., theradiating conductor 627) is implemented using the arrangement of theslits (e.g., the fifth slit 525 a) of FIG. 6 or FIG. 11, even in thefolded state, the electronic device 500 may have a radiation performancesubstantially equal to that in the unfolded state.

According an embodiment, in the state in which the electronic device 500is unfolded, the end face of the third side face (e.g., the third sideface 513 in FIG. 7A) may come into contact with or form an electricalcoupling structure with the end face E of the radiating conductor 627.For example, in the state in which the electronic device 500 isunfolded, a part of the third side face 513 may be electricallyconnected to the radiating conductor 627 so as to transmit/receive radiowaves. In FIG. 13, a change in resonance frequency before and after theelectronic device 500 is folded is predicted based on a phenomenoncaused when the third side face 513 comes into contact with or formselectrical coupling with the radiating conductor 627.

In an embodiment, when it is necessary to maintain the same resonantfrequency regardless of whether the electronic device 500 is folded ornot, the electronic device 500 may adjust a matching path (e.g., thematching paths M1, M2, . . . , and Mx in FIG. 6) with respect to theradiating conductor 627. For example, the processor or the communicationmodule (e.g., the processor 120 or the communication module 190 inFIG. 1) may selectively connect at least one matching path selected froma plurality of matching paths M1, M2, . . . , and Mx to the radiatingconductor 627 using a switch unit (e.g., the switch unit S in FIG. 6). Agraph representing radiation efficiency measured in the state in whichthe resonance frequency is adjusted is represented in FIG. 14.

FIG. 14 is a graph illustrating radiation efficiency measured dependingon an operation of a switch unit in an electronic device according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 14, a graph is provided to illustrate radiationefficiency as measured in the state in which the resonance frequency isadjusted using a switch unit S depending on whether the electronicdevice 500 is folded or not. In FIG. 14, “R5” indicates radiationefficiency in the state in which the electronic device 500 is unfoldedand “R6” indicates radiation efficiency in the state in which theelectronic device 500 is folded. Radiation efficiency before adjustingthe resonance frequency using the switch unit S is as represented inFIG. 13. It can be seen that the electronic device 500 forms a resonantfrequency of about 800 MHz regardless of whether the electronic device500 is folded by adjusting the resonant frequency using the switch unitS.

FIG. 15 is a graph for describing a change in radiation characteristicsdepending on a position of a fifth slit in an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 15, the position of the fifth slit 525 a may be set inconsideration of a mechanical strength and radiation performance. As thedistance d measured in the direction in which the eighth side face 524extends from the position of the fifth slit 525 a, for example, theouter face of the seventh side face 523 of FIG. 6 is increased, aresonance frequency in a lower frequency band may be secured. However,in the state in which the electronic device is unfolded, the radiationefficiency may be lowered since the end portion of the radiatingconductor (e.g., the radiating conductor 627 in FIG. 6) becomes fartheraway from the edge of the electronic device. In another embodiment, thesmaller the distance d measured in the direction in which the eighthside face 524 extends from the outer face of the seventh side face 523of FIG. 6, the higher the resonance frequency may be. And, in the statein which the electronic device is unfolded, it is possible to mitigateor prevent reduction of radiation efficiency since the end portion ofthe radiating conductor (e.g., the radiating conductor 627 in FIG. 6) islocated near the edge of the electronic device. In some embodiments,when the distance d measured in the direction in which the eighth sideface 524 extends from the outer face of the seventh side face 523 inFIG. 6 is smaller than a predetermined distance (e.g., less than about 2mm), there is a risk of damage due to external impact.

The measurement result of FIG. 13 was obtained by measuring theradiation efficiency in the structure in which the fifth slit 525 a isarranged by setting the distance d to about 7.2 mm FIG. 15 is a graphrepresenting radiation efficiency before and after the electronic deviceis folded in the structure in which the fifth slit 525 a is arranged bysetting the distance d to about 4 mm. In FIG. 15, “R7” indicatesradiation efficiency when the electronic device is unfolded, and “R8”indicates radiation efficiency when the electronic device is folded. Inview of the measurement results, considering both the mechanicalstrength and the radiation efficiency of the electronic device, thefifth slit 525 a may be formed at a distance of about 4 mm or more andwithin 7.5 mm from the outer face of the seventh side face 523. In someembodiments, these numerical values are exemplary, and may varydepending on the size of an electronic device to be manufactured or arequired resonant frequency. For example, the fifth slit 525 a may beformed at a distance of about 2 mm or more and within 25 mm from theouter face of the seventh side face 523.

FIG. 16 is a view for describing a configuration of a side member(s) inan electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG.17 is a view for describing a configuration of an antenna device in anelectronic according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In more detail,FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by “C” in FIG. 16.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, an electronic device (e.g., the electronicdevice 200 in FIG. 2) may include a first side member 901 and a secondside member 902, and a sixth slit 925 b may be formed in a fifth sideface. For example, in the configuration of this embodiment, the positionof the sixth slit 925 b may be different when compared with theconfiguration of FIG. 6. According to an embodiment, since the sixthslit 925 b is formed in the fifth side 521, a radiating conductor 927 anantenna device 900 may be formed to substantially include the entireseventh side face 523, a portion (e.g., the lower end portion) of thefifth side face 521, and a portion (e.g., the lower end portion) of theeighth side surface 524. In an embodiment, depending on the arrangementof the fifth slit 525 a or the sixth slit 925 b as described above, theradiating conductor 927 may form a resonance frequency in a frequencyband different from that of the radiating conductor 627 in FIG. 6. Forexample, the resonance frequency may be formed in a desired frequencyband by adjusting the position of the sixth slit 925 b or the likedepending on a specification required by an electronic device.

An electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 200, 700, or 500 inFIG. 2, 7, or 12) may include a first housing structure (e.g., the firsthousing structure 210 in FIG. 2) including a first face (e.g., the firstface 211 in FIG. 2) that faces in a first direction, a second face(e.g., the second face 212 in FIG. 2) that faces in a second directionopposite the first direction, and a first side member (e.g., the firstside member 213 or 501 in FIG. 2 or 5) at least partially surrounding aspace between the first face and the second face, at least a portion ofthe first housing structure being made of a conductive material, asecond housing structure (e.g., the second housing structure 220 in FIG.2) including a third face (e.g., the third face 221 in FIG. 2) thatfaces in a third direction, a fourth face (e.g., the fourth face 222 inFIG. 2) that faces in a fourth direction opposite the third direction,and a second side member (e.g., the second side member 223 or 502 inFIG. 2 or 5) at least partially surrounding a space between the thirdface and the fourth face, at least a portion of the second housingstructure being made of a conductive material, a hinge structure (e.g.,the hinge structure 264 or the hinge cover 265 in FIG. 3 or 4) rotatablyconnecting the first housing structure and the second housing structureto each other, the hinge structure being configured to provide a foldingaxis (e.g., the folding axis A in FIG. 2) that is a rotating center ofthe first housing structure and the second housing structure, and aprinted circuit board (e.g., the printed circuit board 270 in FIG. 4)disposed between the first face and the second face or between the thirdface and the fourth face. The first side member or the second sidemember may include a first side face (e.g., the first side face 511 orthe fifth face 521 in FIG. 5) arranged parallel to the folding axis, asecond side face (e.g., the second side face 512 or the sixth side face522 in FIG. 5) extending from one end of the first side face in adirection crossing the folding axis, a third side face (e.g., the thirdside face 513 or the seventh side face 523 in FIG. 5) extending fromanother end of the first side face in a direction crossing the foldingaxis, a fourth side face (e.g., the fourth side face 514 or the eighthside face 524 in FIG. 5) connecting the second side face and the thirdside face to each other and extending parallel to the folding axis, thefourth side face being disposed adjacent to the hinge structure, a firstslit (e.g., the fifth slit 525 a in FIG. 5) formed in the fourth sideface, and a second slit (e.g., the sixth slit 525 b or 925 b in FIG. 6or 9) formed in any one of the first side face, the second side face,and the third side face. At least a part (hereinafter, a “radiatingconductor”) (e.g., the radiating conductor 627 in FIG. 6) of at leastone of the second side face and the third side face between the firstslit and the second slit is made of a conductive material, and iselectrically connected to the printed circuit board.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device maytransmit/receive radio waves using the radiating conductor.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude a flexible display (e.g., the display 230 in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4)extending from the first surface to the third surface across the hingestructure.

According to various embodiments, the first housing structure and thesecond housing structure may rotate with respect to the hinge structureso as to rotate between a folded position at which the first face facesthe third face and a position at which the first face and the third faceare inclined or arranged side by side with respect to each other.

According to various embodiments, an interval or a gap (e.g., the gap gin FIGS. 7A and 7B) may be formed between an outer circumferential faceof the hinge structure and the fourth side face.

According to various embodiments, at least a portion of an outercircumferential surface of the hinge structure may include a conductivematerial and may be disposed adjacent to a conductive material portionof the first housing structure or the second housing structure.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude a processor or a communication module (e.g., the processor 120or the communication module 190 in FIG. 1) disposed on the printedcircuit board. The processor or the communication module maytransmit/receive radio waves using the radiating conductor.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude a feeding portion (e.g., the feeding portion F in FIG. 6) and aground portion (e.g., the ground portion G in FIG. 6) connected to theradiating conductor. The feeding portion may be connected to theradiating conductor at a first position adjacent the second slit, andthe ground portion may be connected to the radiating conductor at asecond position between the first position and the first slit.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude a switch unit (e.g., the switch unit S in FIG. 6) connected tothe radiating conductor at a third position between the second positionand the first slit, and the switch unit selectively connects one of aplurality of matching paths (e.g., the matching paths M1, M2, . . . ,and Mx in FIG. 6) with the radiating conductor.

According to various embodiments, the first slit may be formed at adistance of 2 mm or more and 25 mm or less from an outer face of thesecond side face or the third side face in a direction in which thefourth side face extends.

According to various embodiments, the first slit (e.g., the fifth slit525 a in FIG. 5) may be formed in each of the first side member and thesecond side member, and the first slit in the first side member and thefirst slit in the second side member may be positioned adjacent to eachother.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude a third slit (e.g., the tenth slit 725 a in FIG. 7A) formed inthe hinge structure, and the third slit may be disposed adjacent to thefirst slit.

According to various embodiments, the first slit or the second slit maybe filled with an insulating material (e.g., the insulating material Iin FIGS. 7A and 7B).

According to various embodiments, an electronic device may include afoldable housing, a flexible display, and at least one wirelesscommunication circuit. The foldable housing may include a hingestructure extending along a first axis, a first housing structureconnected to the hinge structure and including a first face that facesin a first direction, a second face that faces away from the first face,and a first side member surrounding a first space between the first faceand the second face, a second housing structure connected to the hingestructure and including a third face that faces in a second direction, afourth face that faces away from the third face, and a second sidemember surrounding a second space between the third face and the fourthface. The first side member may include a first conductive portion(e.g., the conductive portion of the eighth side face 524 in FIG. 6)extending parallel to the first axis adjacent the hinge structure, asecond conductive portion (e.g., the conductive portion of the seventhside face 523 in FIG. 6) extending perpendicular to the first axis, athird conductive portion (e.g., the conductive portion of the fifth sideface 521 in FIG. 6) including a portion extending parallel to the firstconductive portion, a first non-conductive portion (e.g., the insulatingmaterial I formed in the fifth slit 525 a in FIG. 6 or as illustrated inFIGS. 7A and 7B) inserted between the first conductive portion and thesecond conductive portion, and a second non-conductive portion (e.g.,the insulating material or the non-conductive portion formed in thesixth slit 525 b in FIG. 6) inserted between the second conductiveportion and the third conductive portion. The second side member mayinclude a fourth conductive portion (e.g., the conductive portion of theeighth side face 524 in FIG. 6) extending parallel to the first axisadjacent the hinge structure, a fifth conductive portion (e.g., theconductive portion of the seventh side face 523 in FIG. 6) extendingperpendicular to the fourth conductive portion, a sixth conductiveportion (e.g., the conductive portion of the fifth side face 521 in FIG.6) including a portion extending parallel to the fourth conductiveportion, a third non-conductive portion (e.g., the insulating material Iformed in the fifth slit 525 a in FIG. 6 or illustrated in FIGS. 7A and7B) inserted between the fourth conductive portion and the fifthconductive portion, and a fourth non-conductive portion (e.g., theinsulating material or the non-conductive portion formed in the sixthslit 525 b in FIG. 6) inserted between the fifth conductive portion andthe sixth conductive portion, and the second housing structure isfoldable with respect to the first housing structure about the firstaxis. In a folded state of the foldable housing, the first face may facethe third face, and in an unfolded state, the second direction is thesame as the first direction. In the folded state, when viewed fromoutside the second conductive portion, the second non-conductive portionand the fourth non-conductive portion may be aligned with each other,and when viewed from outside the hinge structure, the firstnonconductive portion and the third nonconductive portion may be alignedwith each other. The flexible display may extend from the first face tothe third face, and at least one wireless communication circuit may beelectrically connected to a first location of the second conductiveportion adjacent to the second non-conductive portion and may beconfigured to transmit and/or receive a signal in a frequency band of500 MHz to 6 GHz.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude a ground member electrically connected to a second position ofthe second conductive portion between the first position and the firstnon-conductive portion.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude at least one switch in the first space, and the switch may beelectrically connected to a third position of the second conductiveportion between the second position and the first non-conductiveportion.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude a plurality of matching paths provided between the ground memberand the switch. The switch may electrically connect the secondconductive portion to the ground member through at least one matchingpath selected from the plurality of matching paths, or may cut off theelectrical connection between the second conductive portion and theground member.

According to various embodiments, the hinge structure may include ahinge cover disposed between the first housing structure and the secondhousing structure, and as the first housing structure and the secondhousing structure are unfolded, the hinge cover may be graduallyconcealed by the first housing structure and the second housingstructure.

According to various embodiments, an interval or a gap may be formedbetween an outer circumferential surface of the hinge cover and thefirst housing structure or between the hinge cover and the secondhousing structure.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference tovarious embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as definedby the appended claims and their equivalents. For example, “a secondside member” in the embodiment disclosed in the detailed description maybe named “a first side member” in other embodiments, and “a fifth,sixth, seventh, or eighth slit” of the second side member disclosed inthe detailed description may be named “a first, second, third, or fourthslit” in other embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a first housingstructure including a first face that faces in a first direction, asecond face that faces in a second direction opposite the firstdirection, and a first side member at least partially surrounding aspace between the first face and the second face, at least a portion ofthe first housing structure being made of a conductive material; asecond housing structure including a third face that faces in a thirddirection, a fourth face that faces in a fourth direction opposite thethird direction, and a second side member at least partially surroundinga space between the third face and the fourth face, at least a portionof the second housing structure being made of a conductive material; ahinge structure rotatably connecting the first housing structure and thesecond housing structure to each other, the hinge structure beingconfigured to provide a folding axis that is a rotating center of thefirst housing structure and the second housing structure; and a printedcircuit board disposed between the first face and the second face orbetween the third face and the fourth face, wherein the first sidemember or the second side member includes: a first side face arrangedparallel to the folding axis; a second side face extending from one endof the first side face in a direction crossing the folding axis; a thirdside face extending from another end of the first side face in adirection crossing the folding axis; a fourth side face connecting thesecond side face and the third side face to each other and extendingparallel to the folding axis, the fourth side face being disposedadjacent to the hinge structure; a first slit formed in the fourth sideface; and a second slit formed in any one of the first side face, thesecond side face, and the third side face, and wherein at least a partof at least one of the second side face and the third side face betweenthe first slit and the second slit is made of a conductive material, andis electrically connected to the printed circuit board to form aradiating conductor.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein theelectronic device is configured to transmit/receive radio waves usingthe radiating conductor.
 3. The electronic device of claim 1, furthercomprising: a flexible display extending from the first side face to thethird side face across the hinge structure.
 4. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the first housing structure and the second housingstructure are configured to rotate with respect to the hinge structurebetween a folded position at which the first face faces the third faceand a position at which the first face and the third face are inclinedor arranged side by side with respect to each other.
 5. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein an interval or a gap is formed between anouter circumferential face of the hinge structure and the fourth sideface.
 6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion ofan outer circumferential surface of the hinge structure includes aconductive material and is disposed adjacent to a conductive materialportion of the first housing structure or the second housing structure.7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: a processor ora communication module disposed on the printed circuit board, whereinthe processor or the communication module is configured totransmit/receive radio waves using the radiating conductor.
 8. Theelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising: a feeding portion anda ground portion connected to the radiating conductor, wherein thefeeding portion is connected to the radiating conductor at a firstposition adjacent the second slit, and wherein the ground portion isconnected to the radiating conductor at a second position between thefirst position and the first slit.
 9. The electronic device of claim 8,further comprising: a switch unit connected to the radiating conductorat a third position between the second position and the first slit,wherein the switch unit is configured to selectively connect one of aplurality of matching paths with the radiating conductor.
 10. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the first housing structure andthe second housing structure are configured to rotate with respect tothe hinge structure between a folded position at which the first facefaces the third face and a position at which the first face and thethird face are inclined or arranged side by side with respect to eachother, and wherein, at the folded position at which the first face facesthe third face, an end face of the radiating conductor adjacent to thefirst slit is exposed to an external space.
 11. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the first slit is formed at a distance of 2 mm or moreand 25 mm or less from an outer face of the second side face or thethird side face in a direction in which the fourth side face extends.12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first slit is formedin each of the first side member and the second side member, and whereinthe first slit in the first side member and the first slit in the secondside member are positioned adjacent to each other.
 13. The electronicdevice of claim 1, further comprising: a third slit formed in the hingestructure, wherein the third slit is disposed adjacent to the firstslit.
 14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first slit orthe second slit is filled with an insulating material.
 15. An electronicdevice comprising: a foldable housing including: a hinge structureextending along a first axis; a first housing structure connected to thehinge structure and including a first face that faces in a firstdirection, a second face that faces away from the first face, and afirst side member surrounding a first space between the first face andthe second face, wherein the first side member includes: a firstconductive portion extending parallel to the first axis adjacent thehinge structure; a second conductive portion extending perpendicular tothe first axis; a third conductive portion including a portion extendingparallel to the first conductive portion; a first non-conductive portioninserted between the first conductive portion and the second conductiveportion; and a second non-conductive portion inserted between the secondconductive portion and the third conductive portion; a second housingstructure connected to the hinge structure and including a third facethat faces in a second direction, a fourth face that faces away from thethird face, and a second side member surrounding a second space betweenthe third face and the fourth face, wherein the second side memberincludes: a fourth conductive portion extending parallel to the firstaxis adjacent the hinge structure; a fifth conductive portion extendingperpendicular to the fourth conductive portion; a sixth conductiveportion including a portion extending parallel to the fourth conductiveportion; a third non-conductive portion inserted between the fourthconductive portion and the fifth conductive portion; and a fourthnon-conductive portion inserted between the fifth conductive portion andthe sixth conductive portion, wherein the second housing structure isfoldable with respect to the first housing structure about the firstaxis, wherein, in a folded state of the foldable housing, the first facefaces the third face, and in an unfolded state, the second direction isa same as the first direction, and wherein, in the folded state, whenviewed from outside the second conductive portion, the secondnon-conductive portion and the fourth non-conductive portion are alignedwith each other, and when viewed from outside the hinge structure, thefirst non-conductive portion and the third non-conductive portion arealigned with each other; a flexible display extending from the firstface to the third face; and at least one wireless communication circuitelectrically connected to a first position of the second conductiveportion adjacent to the second non-conductive portion and configured totransmit and/or receive a signal in a frequency band of 500 MHz to 6GHz.
 16. The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising: a groundmember electrically connected to a second position of the secondconductive portion between the first position and the firstnon-conductive portion.
 17. The electronic device of claim 16, furthercomprising: at least one switch in the first space, wherein the switchis electrically connected to a third position of the second conductiveportion between the second position and the first non-conductiveportion.
 18. The electronic device of claim 17, further comprising: aplurality of matching paths provided between the ground member and theswitch, wherein the switch is configured to electrically connect thesecond conductive portion to the ground member through at least onematching path selected from the plurality of matching paths, or cut offthe electrical connection between the second conductive portion and theground member.
 19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the hingestructure includes a hinge cover disposed between the first housingstructure and the second housing structure, and wherein, as the firsthousing structure and the second housing structure are unfolded, thehinge cover is gradually concealed by the first housing structure andthe second housing structure.
 20. The electronic device of claim 19,wherein an interval or a gap is formed between an outer circumferentialsurface of the hinge cover and the first housing structure or betweenthe hinge cover and the second housing structure.
 21. The electronicdevice of claim 15, wherein the first housing structure includes asensor area.
 22. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising arecess configured to accommodate the flexible display.
 23. Theelectronic device of claim 22, wherein the recess has a first widthbetween a first portion of the second housing structure, which isparallel to the first axis, and an edge of the sensor area of the firsthousing structure, and wherein the recess has a second width between asecond portion of the second housing structure and a second portion thatdoes not correspond to the sensor area and is parallel to the first axisin the first housing structure, the second width being different fromthe first width.